31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah. The political podcaster had only begun speaking for 10 minutes during the event before he was fatally shot on the left side of the neck. The shot was fired from a building about 200 yards away from Kirk, according to UVU officials.
The alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, arrived on campus just before the event began. He came in a maroon t-shirt, shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light colored shoes. It is believed that Robinson changed into the all black outfit seen in photos circulated by the FBI on the roof where he fired the fatal shot. According to Utah Governor Spencer Cox, the surveillance footage showed Robinson arriving in a gray Dodge Challenger, the same car the family confirmed Robinson drove. The authorities have yet to reveal a motive for the shooting.
According to authorities, Robinson’s father recognized his son in the photographs released to the public and confronted his son about the shooting. Robinson then confessed to his father that he shot Kirk and his father urged Robinson to turn himself in. After Robinson indicated that he would rather take his own life than go into custody, his father persuaded him to speak to a youth pastor, a law enforcement official told CNN. The youth pastor, who also is a U.S. Marshals task force officer, contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals office after speaking to Robinson. He was arrested the night of Sept. 11 near his family home. His arrest was announced on the morning news show “Fox and Friends” by President Donald Trump.
In response to Kirk’s death, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance flew Kirk’s casket to his home in Arizona on Air Force Two, along with Erika Kirk, Charlie’s wife. President Trump ordered that all American flags be at half-staff and that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Trump said of Kirk, “Charlie inspired millions, and tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror.” The President added that this was “a dark moment for America.”
Kirk came to UVU because of his “American Comeback Tour”, which started in February of this year. The tour was designed for Kirk to debate and discuss with students who did not agree with his political views. In a Facebook post announcing the tour, Kirk wrote, “If you are a liberal, come ask a question. If you disagree, come up to the mic.”
Kirk started his political activism journey when he was a junior in high school, when he wrote an essay for the far-right news outlet, Breitbart News, in which he alleged that high school textbooks had a liberal bias. This essay led to Kirk’s appearance on Fox Business. Later in 2012, when Kirk was 18, he started Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a conservative youth organization that is now offered on college campuses and high schools across the country. According to the TPUSA website, the student-led groups focus on “educating young people about the importance of limited government, free markets, and freedom.”
Since founding TPUSA, Kirk has been a prominent conservative political activist, especially with young voters. Kirk’s “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour” visited college campuses throughout the country, advocating for President Trump’s re-election. According to Newsweek, Kirk believed his campaign might have played a significant role in re-electing President Trump.
Students who attended Kirk’s event describe panic after hearing the shot. One eye witness told CBS, “Me and my buddies were having a good time just listening to what was going on and we just heard [a loud bang] and then I saw his body actually in slow motion kind of fall over.” Jason Chaffetz, a former US Congressman who was there with his daughter, described everyone scattering and quickly dropping to the ground. UVU was closed the rest of the day following the shooting and was closed until Sept. 15.
In a press conference on Sept. 12, Governor Cox spoke to the nation about this moment in our country. “I absolutely believe that this is a watershed in American history, yes. The question is what kind of watershed, and that chapter remains to be written. Is this the end of a dark chapter in our history or the beginning of a darker chapter in our history?”
Kirk was a controversial figure within the online political landscape. His conservative views consisted of pro-gun, anti-feminist, anti-climate change and anti-LGBTQ beliefs. Kirk also remarked the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a “huge mistake”, as it led to a “DEI bureaucracy” within the country. He was a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and was very open about his Christian spirituality.
Erika Kirk mentioned in her public statement that if her late husband ever ran for office, his top priority would be “to revive the American family.” Though he was a close ally to Trump, he was not above criticizing the President’s actions. When the U.S. bombed Iran over the summer, Kirk posted on X, “Trump voters, especially young people, supported President Trump because he was the first president in my lifetime to not start a new war.” He continued in the same post, “We must work and pray for peace.”
The aftermath of Kirk’s death has left people on social media with conflicting feelings of the political activist. While many disagreed with him, they mourned him despite their political beliefs.
Several anonymous posters on Christopher Newport University’s Yik Yak remarked on Kirk’s death. One post said, “As unfortunate as his death was, I feel an incredible sense of injustice by the fact that an influencer gets this type of treatment from the president, but school shootings really don’t.” Another read, “I never personally agreed with Charlie Kirk since I am a leftist, but he was just sharing common ideals with certain groups of people. He did not deserve that.”
The Captain’s Log spoke to a few students for their opinions on Charlie Kirk’s death, violence within politics and how we should respond to political violence.
Ava Dilday, a junior, said that she was also shocked and saddened by the event. “I thought it was heartbreaking. He’s a father and a husband.”
Amber Dale, a sophomore, was shocked to see the news that Kirk had been killed. She noted that she thought that the controversial activist “would have more security.” Notably, the “America Comeback Tour” event at UVU did not have metal detectors or bag checks according to eye witness accounts.
Alesia Dale, a sophomore and Amber’s sister, said she was not shocked when she saw the headlines. She noted that American history has always been riddled with political violence. “Ronald Reagan? Attempted assassination. Donald Trump? Attempted assassination. Martin Luther King? Assassination. I don’t see a change really progressed.”
When asked about how we, as a society, should respond to political violence, Amber and Alesia agreed that we should lead with sympathy and grace. Amber said, “I think we should lead with sympathy, because he was a human being. He didn’t do anything legally wrong, he expressed his first amendment rights. So I think we should lead with sympathy and try to protect those rights against violence.”
Christopher Newport University’s TPUSA held a prayer in front of York Lawn the following morning after Kirk’s death. The group’s president, senior Alanna Griffin, received the news of Kirk’s death with a heavy heart and offered thoughts and prayers to his wife and children. In a statement to The Captain’s Log, she wrote, “No matter where you stand politically, assassinating someone simply because of political differences is vile and has no place in America.”
